Then Within a Dream
by Winter M
Summary: “Around her the dancers swirl… dresses made from colors once gay… watched her king and knew then that the girl would be his downfall…” Lori’s POV (OC from BR and BRB, .5 story in the saga)


Title: Then Within a Dream _–a prelude to Blushing Red_

Author: Winter aka Liz Montrose

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: kind of a prelude to J/S

Summary: _"Around her the dancers swirl… dresses made from colors once gay… watched her king and knew then that the girl would be his downfall…" _Lori's POV (OC from BR and BRB)

A/N: Exactly one year ago today (Oct 25) I first saw Labyrinth; so, to commemorate that I watched the movie again. I must admit that above anything the ballroom scene fascinates me and I love exploring different explanations for various things that went on in it. This story takes place during the movie, basically a .5 story.

She had felt it; felt the moment the mortal took a bite from the King's enchanted peach. Felt it like a cold harsh wind blowing through the barren castle room. Is swept through the open window causing the gauzy curtains covering the opening to billow; then across the floor until it blew over the large bed. She had been wakened by the occurrence, abruptly coming back to consciousness at the icy caress of _aldremé_ magic dancing across her skin. Lori blinked against the haze clogging her brain, _self_ drifting away from the land of dreams and visions yet not quite back into the land of the living. She paused at the outskirts of that place between dreams and awake, her mind wishing to linger, wishing to keep her again safe from the truth which waited in the world. But this new dream beckoned, one made from illusions and truths disguised as fantasy.

The Midlor sighed, her pale lavender eyes darkening slightly. She rolled onto her back in the middle of the dusty bed, her dark black hair spread out across the faded plum colored bedspread. Her filmy sleeping gown wrinkled beneath her slender body, exposing a long streamlined figure of unnatural height. Her eyes fell closed again, a small puff of air escaping pale pink lips untouched by bottled color. The orbs shifted back and forth beneath closed lids as she felt herself drawn into the mortal's chimera…

/                    /                    /

There were hundreds of bodies, all packed into the gaudily decorated ballroom, each dressed in tattered finery and cruel goblin masks. The Midlor glanced down, not surprised to find herself bereft of her people's traditional long tunics and flowing robes, instead dressed in the constricting customs of the Seelie Court. A grotesque mask was pushed back into her hair and a feathered fan fit into her clasped palm. 

The multitude, their noise clamoring off the walls, began to move to, their bodies gliding across the room. Their limbs entangled to the pulse of the heady music and soon they had completely given themselves to the masquerade. Lori grimaced in distaste, why Jareth had chosen to seduce his little mortal here escaping the Sidhe's understanding. A couple leered at her imposing countenance as they passed. She rolled her eyes and pulled the mask down over her sharp features, eyes blazing a cold hard blue with flecks of ice skating around the edges of the irises.

She glided serenely through the crowd, casually depositing the fan upon the surface of a food laden table. She stopped and turned again to face the crowd, her back safely against the surface of a curving glass wall. Around her the dancers swirled chaotically to the music, tongue flickering out invitingly and bodies rubbing sensually together. The fabrics of their dresses made from colors once gay and bright, not grimy with age and wrinkled by time. As the dance continued the raven haired woman slowly felt a pounding headache start to build in her pale temple. She growled softly under her breath, damn him!

From across the room a small slight figure suddenly emerged dressed in glittering white, dark hair brushed off her face and twined with delicate strands of silver and diamonds. Her hands remained ungloved and her neither wore nor carried one of the masks. Her young face, still rounded by childhood, glanced around uncertainly; as if she were worried that perhaps she really did not belong in this place of dreams and shadows. Cautiously the mortal began to move into the teeming mass of sweaty bodies, eyes roaming across the great crowded expanse. 

A coal black eyebrow arched, wrinkling the delicate skin of the woman's brow. A small smirked crossed her lips, at least the girl had some backbone to her. The smile shriveled away as her claret colored eyes took in the lean form of the Goblin King, his eyes squarely focused on the young mortal. Even from across the room, Lori could clearly detect the unfamiliar glint in those mismatched orbs. Her own eyes narrowed in thought as she watched the two nemeses skirt around the other until finally they met and clasped hands.

Slowly they began to move in a dance of their own, eyes boring into the others. His lips moved slowly, the soft strains of a sweet melody carrying across the din to the Midlor's precise hearing. The words swirled around amongst her thoughts as she pondered the King's possible meaning. Was it, like so many times before, another strand weaved into the great web he created to trap his prey, empty sentiment to smooth over the sting of a tightening noose. Or was it not a true declaration of sentiments, the feelings conveyed in clear prose after all. The question: illusion or reality?

Her glazed sight refocused on the two and she knew. She watched his tall, haughty figure, watched her king and knew then that the girl would be his downfall…

Finis

A/N: please review and tell me what you thought! And I promise, more Blood Runs Blue coming soon!


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